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Morris Dees and Joe Levin

Morris Dees, left, and Joe Levin founded the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1971. Dees, the center's chief trial attorney, made his mark in the direct mail and publishing business before entering the civil rights litigation arena in the late 1960s. Levin was the center's legal director from 1971-76; he became the center's CEO in 1996, and since 2003 has been president emeritus.